INTERNSHIPS

CONSTRUCTION

Next Step construction internships give you the unique opportunity to get valuable hands-on construction experience, as well as lead hundreds of volunteers and manage dozens of projects during nine week-long mission trips. You will be directly involved in every step of each project with specific experience in planning, estimating, scheduling, budgeting, and management. With that, our full time construction staff will be very involved in setting you up for success during your summer, as well as supporting and training you during the internship. Lastly, this internship allows you to grow in your faith and serve alongside a community.

QUICK INFO

CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

As the Construction Manager, you are responsible for overseeing all construction projects that take place in the community you are serving with. You will work closely with our full-time Construction Coordinators, and local full-time staff in the community on project selection and proper project setup. You will also oversee estimating, purchasing, and budgeting procedures for all aspects of the construction. With that, you will be directing and leading 2-3 other construction team members as well as volunteers, to properly complete all projects. Your ultimate responsibility will be to ensure all building projects are running smoothly for the summer.

CONSTRUCTION TEAM MEMBER

As a Construction Team Member you will have the opportunity to lead students in various work projects within the community. This position will focus on individual project foreman duties with opportunities for participating in management responsibilities, such as estimating and designing projects.

WHAT TO EXPECT

HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE

With many construction internships, you find yourself in the office quite a bit. That isn’t the case with Next Step. As an intern, you will be directly involved in every step of the construction process. This includes being exposed to the planning, estimating, scheduling, budgeting, and management of each project you work on during the summer. In addition to this, you will have the opportunity to work with suppliers, and other professionals from all over the country.

LEADERSHIP

In today’s industry, leadership skills are crucial. During the internship, you will be leading over 500 volunteers through the process of building while managing a large summer budget. Whether it is hanging drywall, roofing a home, or building one from the ground up, you will have the opportunity to learn how to effectively communicate and lead those around you. There is no doubt, during a summer with Next Step, you will be immersed in valuable leadership experiences that will be used for a lifetime.

RESUME BUILDER

The experience you gain from the summer is like no other internship program. You will have the opportunity to gain a wide variety of construction-related knowledge, as well as valuable leadership and management involvement. These experiences are widely sought after by every employer. Past interns will agree that this internship will not only help equip you for a future in the construction industry, but also prepare you for any future ministry involvement.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Most importantly, you will have the opportunity to serve alongside a community for the entire summer. This service will go far beyond the physical construction project that you will be involved with. You will also have the chance to build relationships with community members. These relationships will impact your life in ways you never expected as you grow in a deeper understanding of what it means to be in community.

Tee Feyrer

Joplin Assistant Team Leader

“Everyday was a step closer to God and I cannot say enough about how much knowledge and growth I gained this summer. From what began as a “week of purity”, became a “summer of purity”, and I can say now will be a “life of purity.”

Kayla Jorgenson

South Dakota Worship Leader

“When I committed to a summer internship in Pine Ridge with Next Step, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Come to find out, this experience would be a time filled with more glory than I ever could’ve expected. I have learned so, so many things from my summer in Pine Ridge, but one of the greatest lessons I’ll take away is the way that the Lord can expand our capacity to love and care for a group of people and a community that are so near to His heart.”

Tommy Olmstead

Oklahoma Team Leader

“My summer experience was nothing short of incredible. There were many amazing things that happened this summer, with some being great opportunities for myself to grow in faith. Doing a Next Step summer is hard and unexpected things can happen all the time, but seeing the work that God can do is so rewarding!”

Kinsey Minschke

Joplin Team Leader

“After three summers interning with Next Step, I’ve learned a valuable lesson: expect the unexpected. I didn’t expect to find the best friends I will ever have in my teammates, who encouraged me and helped me grow. I didn’t expect to learn how to do drywall and build fences. I didn’t expect to fall so deeply in love with the community of Joplin that God would uproot all of my plans and plant me there permanently. But one thing you will learn in a Next Step internship is that God moves in crazy, unexpected ways.”

Andrew Sotis

Guatemala Construction Team

“God rocked my world in Guatemala. Spending a summer on staff completely changed my perspective on faith, service, and my future. It was an emotional journey, through developing a relationship with God and learning how to demonstrate my new faith to others. Serving with incredible team members and community partners in Sumpango was the most rewarding, challenging, and inspiring experience of my life.”

HOW TO APPLY

CHOOSE DESIRED INTERSHIP POSITION

Missional Leadership

Team Leader

Assistant Team Leader

Community Coordinator

VBS Coordinator

Worship

Worship Leader

Worship Team Member

Media Tech

Youth Ministry

Emcee

Construction

Construction Manager

Construction Team Member

PREPARE YOUR APPLICATION MATERIALS

Resume

Resumes should list all education, previous jobs, and other pertinent experience.

References

You must submit contact information for 2 references. At least one reference must be from a professor or supervisor from within the specified area you are applying for (e.g. if you are applying for the Construction Team, you would need a reference from a Construction Professor or Construction Supervisor).

Video sample

If you are applying for a worship or youth ministry position , you are required to upload a video sample of you playing music or delivering a message.

FILL OUT INTERNSHIP APPLICATION

The last step is to simply fill out the online application by clicking Apply Now below. You will be able to upload your application materials with your application. We will contact you with 48 hours of receiving your application. Feel free to contact us with any additional questions.

FAQS

All applicants must be 18 years old and one full year out of high school. CPR certification is required prior to the start of the summer. See positions and requirements for list of specific position requirements.

There are several things we consider when placing staff and building the teams. First, we consider your specific skills and talents and how they best fit into the communities we work with and the teams that are set up. We also take into consideration where you would like to serve. Lastly, we place based on the needs of Next Step.

Yes. You will serve at one location for the entirety of your summer. The only exception is for either the Worship Leader or Construction Manager Flex positions. See positions and requirements for more information on the Flex Position.

Yes. There is a Mid-Summer Team Break (onsite) on July 6th -July 8th. This will be an opportunity for you and your team to get away from your job responsibilities, and reenergize for the last few weeks of trips. The goal is for you and your team to feel spiritually refreshed and rested.

That being said, due to the nature of your position there is very little downtime on a day-to-day basis. Typical weekends are used to shop for supplies, set up new projects, and rest. You will be exhausted, but take it from us; it will be well worth it! The position requires your effort 24/7 for 10 weeks.

All of your food and lodging is covered for the entire summer! You will be staying at a church or school in the community you live in. Your new bedroom will most likely be a classroom. You will sleep on an air mattress.

You are responsible for your transportation to training week on May 21st and home at the end of the summer on Aug 7th (That’s one round trip ticket to Wisconsin). Next Step covers all the rest of your transportation!

If you are playing the guitar or bass, yes you will need to bring it with you. You will also need to bring extra picks, strings, capos etc. We will have all cables and amps. If you are playing the keys or drums, we will provide those for you.

No. Next Step has all power tools and hand tools on site. We ask that you do however bring your Personal Protection Equipment (hard hat, glasses, gloves) and suggest bringing your tool belt. Any tools you choose to bring on site will be at your own risk.

All staff will be expected to go out onto a worksite during the day. You may even be leading a site! You will learn some basic skills in managing a construction worksite during training week and throughout the summer from your Construction Team so that you feel comfortable on site.

Yes. Traveling back to Wisconsin after your trips have ended is an important part of the summer. It offers you and your team closure from a summer full of life-changing experiences and gives you the opportunity to begin your transition back home. We will celebrate your hard work with friends and family as well as conduct important exit interviews.

Yes, you can drive to training. We prefer that you arrange to be dropped off at our training site in Wisconsin. If you must leave your car you will be leaving it at your own risk and must leave your keys at the Next Step office in case of emergency.

CONTACT US

DOWNLOADS

2017 INTERNSHIP PACKET This packet has all your internship information in one place. Dates, details and more. While you can find all this information on the website, feel free to download this packet as an additional resource. DOWNLOAD

2017 SUPPORT RAISING PACKET Support raising can be scary, but we are there to walk you through the process to make sure you are equipped to succeed. This packet has information about your support raising requirement (does not apply to construction internships), and outlines for successfully reaching your financial goal. DOWNLOAD